Skip to content
Noroxi
CVE-2021-25219· NVD / CVE Program· CNA isc

Lame cache can be abused to severely degrade resolver performance

In BIND 9.3.0 -> 9.11.35, 9.12.0 -> 9.16.21, and versions 9.9.3-S1 -> 9.11.35-S1 and 9.16.8-S1 -> 9.16.21-S1 of BIND Supported Preview Edition, as well as release versions 9.17.0 -> 9.17.18 of the BIND 9.17 development branch, exploitation of broken authoritative servers using a flaw in response processing can cause degradation in BIND resolver performance. The way the lame cache is currently designed makes it possible for its internal data structures to grow almost infinitely, which may cause significant delays in client query processing.

MediumCVSS 5.3 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Oct 27, 2021
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
10.6% · 96th percentile
CWE
—
Follow this CVE

Sign in to follow · You’ll be notified if a followed record enters KEV, gets an exploit or is updated.

Report tools

JSON

Action score

24

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
21 / 40 · 5.3 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
3 / 30 · 10.6%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
5.3
CNA · isc
5.3
agree

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Affected systems

VendorProduct
iscbind
fedoraprojectfedora
debiandebian linux
netapph300s firmware
netapph300s
netapph500s firmware
netapph500s
netapph700s firmware
netapph700s
netapph300e firmware
netapph300e
netapph500e firmware

and 11 more

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • debian debian linux10.0
  • debian debian linux11.0
  • debian debian linux9.0
  • fedoraproject fedora33
  • fedoraproject fedora34
  • fedoraproject fedora35
  • isc bind9.3.0 and later · before 9.11.36
  • isc bind9.17.0 and later · before 9.17.19
  • isc bind9.12.0 and later · before 9.16.22
  • isc bind9.10.5
  • isc bind9.10.7
  • isc bind9.11.12
  • isc bind9.11.21
  • isc bind9.11.27
  • isc bind9.11.29
  • isc bind9.11.3
  • isc bind9.11.35
  • isc bind9.11.5
  • isc bind9.11.6
  • isc bind9.11.7

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (isc). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • ISC BIND9

    • Open Source Branches 9.3 through 9.11 9.3.0 through versions before 9.11.36, Open Source Branches 9.12 through 9.16 9.12.0 through versions before 9.16.22, Supported Preview Branches 9.9-S through 9.11-S 9.9.3-S1 through versions before 9.11.36-S1, Supported Preview Branch 9.16-S 9.16.8-S1 through versions before 9.16.22-S1, Development Branch 9.17 9.17.0 through versions before 9.17.19affected

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
AlmaLinux:8bindbefore 32:9.11.36-3.el832:9.11.36-3.el8
AlmaLinux:8bind-chrootbefore 32:9.11.36-3.el832:9.11.36-3.el8
AlmaLinux:8bind-develbefore 32:9.11.36-3.el832:9.11.36-3.el8
AlmaLinux:8bind-export-develbefore 32:9.11.36-3.el832:9.11.36-3.el8
AlmaLinux:8bind-export-libsbefore 32:9.11.36-3.el832:9.11.36-3.el8
AlmaLinux:8bind-libsbefore 32:9.11.36-3.el832:9.11.36-3.el8
AlmaLinux:8bind-libs-litebefore 32:9.11.36-3.el832:9.11.36-3.el8
AlmaLinux:8bind-licensebefore 32:9.11.36-3.el832:9.11.36-3.el8
AlmaLinux:8bind-lite-develbefore 32:9.11.36-3.el832:9.11.36-3.el8
AlmaLinux:8bind-pkcs11before 32:9.11.36-3.el832:9.11.36-3.el8
AlmaLinux:8bind-pkcs11-develbefore 32:9.11.36-3.el832:9.11.36-3.el8
AlmaLinux:8bind-pkcs11-libsbefore 32:9.11.36-3.el832:9.11.36-3.el8
AlmaLinux:8bind-pkcs11-utilsbefore 32:9.11.36-3.el832:9.11.36-3.el8
AlmaLinux:8bind-sdbbefore 32:9.11.36-3.el832:9.11.36-3.el8
AlmaLinux:8bind-sdb-chrootbefore 32:9.11.36-3.el832:9.11.36-3.el8
AlmaLinux:8bind-utilsbefore 32:9.11.36-3.el832:9.11.36-3.el8
AlmaLinux:8python3-bindbefore 32:9.11.36-3.el832:9.11.36-3.el8
Alpine:v3.12bindfrom 9.3.0 · before 9.16.27-r09.16.27-r0
Alpine:v3.13bindfrom 9.3.0 · before 9.16.25-r09.16.25-r0
Alpine:v3.15bindfrom 9.3.0 · before 9.16.22-r09.16.22-r0
Debian:10bind9before 1:9.11.5.P4+dfsg-5.1+deb10u61:9.11.5.P4+dfsg-5.1+deb10u6
Debian:11bind9before 1:9.16.22-1~deb11u11:9.16.22-1~deb11u1
Debian:12bind9before 1:9.17.19-11:9.17.19-1
Debian:9bind9before 1:9.10.3.dfsg.P4-12.3+deb9u101:9.10.3.dfsg.P4-12.3+deb9u10

+39

Same product

isc: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2015-5477named in ISC BIND 9.x before 9.9.7-P2 and 9.10.x before 9.10.2-P3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (REQUIRE assertion fa
    58Plan
  • CVE-2016-2776buffer.c in named in ISC BIND 9 before 9.9.9-P3, 9.10.x before 9.10.4-P3, and 9.11.x before 9.11.0rc3 does not properly construct responses,
    57Plan
  • CVE-2016-1286named in ISC BIND 9.x before 9.9.8-P4 and 9.10.x before 9.10.3-P4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (assertion failure an
    53Plan
  • CVE-2020-8625A vulnerability in BIND's GSSAPI security policy negotiation can be targeted by a buffer overflow attack
    51Plan
  • CVE-2020-8617A logic error in code which checks TSIG validity can be used to trigger an assertion failure in tsig.c
    51Plan
  • CVE-2001-0010Buffer overflow in transaction signature (TSIG) handling code in BIND 8 allows remote attackers to gain root privileges.
    49Plan

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
almalinux:bind32:9.11.36-3.el8 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:bind-chroot32:9.11.36-3.el8 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:bind-devel32:9.11.36-3.el8 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:bind-export-devel32:9.11.36-3.el8 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:bind-export-libs32:9.11.36-3.el8 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:bind-libs32:9.11.36-3.el8 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:bind-libs-lite32:9.11.36-3.el8 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:bind-license32:9.11.36-3.el8 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:bind-lite-devel32:9.11.36-3.el8 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:bind-pkcs1132:9.11.36-3.el8 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:bind-pkcs11-devel32:9.11.36-3.el8 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:bind-pkcs11-libs32:9.11.36-3.el8 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
alpine:bind9.16.27-r0 · Alpine:v3.12Package registry (OSV)
debian:bind91:9.17.19-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:bind9.16.31-150400.5.6.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.4Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:htmldoc1.9.12-bp153.2.15.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.3Package registry (OSV)
red hat:bind32:9.11.36-3.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:bind-chroot32:9.11.36-3.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:bind-debuginfo32:9.11.36-3.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:bind-debugsource32:9.11.36-3.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:bind-devel32:9.11.36-3.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:bind-export-libs-debuginfo32:9.11.36-3.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:bind-libs32:9.11.36-3.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:bind-libs-debuginfo32:9.11.36-3.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:bind-libs-lite32:9.11.36-3.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:bind-libs-lite-debuginfo32:9.11.36-3.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:bind-license32:9.11.36-3.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:bind-lite-devel32:9.11.36-3.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
rocky linux:bind2:9.11.36-3.el8 · Rocky Linux:8Package registry (OSV)
suse:bind9.11.22-3.37.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5Package registry (OSV)

+2

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
none
Availability
low · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
Low

Weakness class (CWE)

—

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.

We use this product, ask for help

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

All records